NCJ Number
155886
Date Published
1995
Length
333 pages
Annotation
Based on a literature review and analysis of seven cases involving child witnesses, this document examines the issues involved in evaluating the accuracy of children's statements made in forensic interviews, during preliminary hearings, and in trials.
Abstract
Focusing disproportionately on cases where children's testimony is questionable and cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse, the analysis considers the positive and negative factors that influence children's testimony and emphasizes the complexity of assessing this testimony. The discussion focuses on research on suggestibility, the structure and dynamics of daily conversations between children and adults, the dynamics of forensic and therapeutic interviews, the use of anatomically detailed dolls, the recovery of repressed memories of early childhood sexual abuse, and age differences in the reliability of reports. Professional conduct is also examined, with emphasis on how experts testify in court and how professionals interact with children. The analysis concludes that to avoid jeopardizing the truth-seeking goal of the courtroom, professionals' behavior must rest on scientifically grounded research and that the accuracy of children's reporting can be influenced by a number of different interviewing techniques. Figure, footnotes, and over 300 references